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Central City stabbing victim attacked over money dispute, police say

Erik Rowel.jpg

Erik Rowel, 33, was booked with attempted first-degree murder after being arrested late Wednesday in connection with the reported stabbing of a man May 14 in Central City.
(Photo courtesy of Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office)

Erik Rowel, 33, was captured late Wednesday night and booked with attempted first-degree murder. His arrest warrant said the 54-year-old man Rowel is accused of stabbing in the neck was critically wounded and initially not expected to survive his injury. After treatment by paramedics and doctors at an area hospital, he survived and was able to identify Rowel as his assailant days after the May 14 attack, police said in the warrant.

The court documents revealed new details that contradicted the NOPD's initial report that the victim was approached by an unknown man who stabbed him and fled.

According to the warrant, investigators determined the man was standing in front of a "known drug location" in the 3500 block of South Liberty Street when he was stabbed. Though still unable to speak during his first hospital interview with detectives, the victim was able to write on a notepad that a man he knew as "Eric" stabbed him in the neck in a dispute over money.

The victim wrote that "Eric" was a thief and responsible for multiple car burglaries in New Orleans, the warrant said. He did not know his attacker's last name, but nodded when asked if the attacker frequented the area where the stabbing occurred.

The warrant said 6th District Task Force officers made an unrelated narcotics arrest May 19 that yielded more information about "Eric," including the name of the suspect's mother and her last known address. NOPD Detective Drew Deacon searched computer data to trace the mother's name and learn that her son was named Erik Rowel. His photo was identified by the suspect arrested on the unrelated drug charge, who said Rowel "is a known crack cocaine addict and often burglarizes cars in the area," the warrant said.

The stabbing victim later picked Rowel's picture out of a photo lineup created by Louisiana State Police.

Rowel, who also is wanted on an unspecified out-of-state warrant, was ordered held without bond when he made his first court appearance Thursday morning.